


Throw on a Mask to Hide the Pain

by what_am_i_even_doing_tho



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:40:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24550966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_am_i_even_doing_tho/pseuds/what_am_i_even_doing_tho
Summary: Paz offers Din some much needed comfort.(This takes place after chapter 4 of Hidden and Revealed.)
Relationships: Corin the Stormtrooper (Rescue and Regret)/The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV) & Paz Vizla
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66





	Throw on a Mask to Hide the Pain

**Author's Note:**

> Am I yet again writing everything except for what I should be writing? Yes. Am I procrastinating? Maybe. Do I have writer’s block? Definitely. Something is better than nothing, however, and I just could not get this idea to leave me alone.
> 
> I have never once written 3rd person omniscient, nor have I ever written Paz, so this was a challenge in more ways than one. I am 99.99% sure I failed miserably at both, but oh well. I gave it the good ol college try. I apologize to anyone I have horribly offended with this.
> 
> I don’t care how OOC this may or may not be. I just needed some somft brotherly Paz and Din (with angst because come on, this is me we’re talking about).

Paz sighed heavily as he approached the door of the room Din was holed up in. Ever since the episode with Corin and the child earlier that day, Din had been shaky and distant, lost in his own dark thoughts. Eventually, spending time around the others had become too much, and he retreated to his room, muttering about how he needed a break. No one had argued when he left, but the concern in the air was palpable. 

Din’s distress was understandable, of course; it hurt Paz, too, when he heard the way Corin had reacted to the presence of the kid. The old Corin would have been overjoyed at their reunion. He wouldn’t have flinched away in fear and pain like this new Corin had. They all knew that Corin had changed, but the difference was still alarming and disheartening, so it was no wonder that Din was so shaken up.

Now Din refused to leave his room, not feeling strong enough to put on a brave face, and Paz had come to check on him. He wished there was more he could do for his vod, but, for right now at least, making sure Din took care of himself would have to be enough. Paz stopped at the door and knocked. When there was no response, he figured that Din had finally fallen asleep. A sick feeling in his gut had him turning the unlocked doorknob, though, instead of turning away. 

Oblivious to the opening door, Din sat on his cot, legs pulled up to his chest and elbows resting on his knees. His whole body was shaking violently as the scene from earlier mercilessly replayed in his head. The way Corin had stepped back, the fear written across his face as plain as day. The child asking to be picked up, only for Corin to fling himself away and shout in pain. The devastatingly broken expression their ad’ika wore at such a foreign reaction. Din closed his eyes and winced, then jumped slightly when he felt the cot dip.

Paz had halted in the doorway, but once he saw the way Din was shaking, he hurried over and sat down beside him. He was at a loss for what to do before a whimper coming from the man next to him spurred him on. Paz carefully lifted one arm and wrapped it around Din’s shoulders, pulling him in close. As a testament to Din’s state of mind, he went willingly, not even making a sound in protest.

He rested his helmet against Paz’s breastplate, the soft clink that sounded comforting in its own way, and with his brother’s arms holding him tight, Din finally allowed himself to fall apart. An ugly sob wrenched its way out, and tears poured down his cheeks. Paz murmured softly in Mando’a, awkwardly at first, but gaining confidence as he noticed the calming effect his words had. 

Eventually, Din’s breathing evened out, and his sobs softened into little hiccups. He pulled away stiffly, grateful for the helmet hiding the way his face burned with embarrassment, and Paz retracted his arm. They sat in silence for a little while, Paz letting Din collect himself and struggling to not feel out of his depth. He didn’t really expect his vod to say anything about the situation; he was fully prepared to just be a steadying presence as the other man calmed down.

Din surprised him, however, by voicing the fears Paz knew they all shared, “What if… What if we never get him back? What if he stays like this forever?”

“He won’t,” Paz insisted, voice firm. He couldn’t let Din think it was hopeless, couldn’t let him give up. “We will get him back, vod’ika. The Corin you love is still in there. He’s not gone, not completely.”

“I just-” Din cut himself off with a quivering breath. After a moment, he continued, voice soft and broken, “I miss him so much. I want my Corin back, not this stranger he’s become. I don’t know if I can do this, ori’vod. I don’t think I’m strong enough.” Paz turned his body to face Din, and he placed his hand on Din’s shoulder.

“Like kriff you’re not,” He snarled. “Din, you’re one of the strongest people I know. You’ll make it through this. Everything will be okay.”

Despite how badly he wished he did, Paz just couldn’t believe his own words. That wasn’t something Din ever needed to know, however; the point of this was to try to comfort him, and dammit, if he had to lie, so be it. Thankfully, it seemed he had hidden his uncertainty well enough because Din’s posture relaxed. He gave a small nod, and Paz clapped his shoulder before standing.

“Clean yourself up,” He said gruffly, feeling uncomfortable now that he had accomplished his goal. “Get some rest. I know you haven’t been sleeping.”

Din nodded again, and Paz started for the door. Gratitude swelled in Din’s chest; Paz had never been one for soft words and comforting actions. Even so, he had done his best to make Din feel better. Abruptly getting to his feet, he called out to Paz to wait. Paz turned around, helmet tipped in a silent question.

“Thank you.” Din said, hoping the depth of his emotion would come through sufficiently with just those two words. Judging by the way Paz stiffened ever so slightly, Din figured it had. A rigid nod was his only response before Paz spun on his heel and marched out of the room, door closing harshly behind him. Paz took a moment outside the door to shake off the lingering warmth Din’s gratefulness had caused, then decided that he would kill for a nap right now. Or a drink. Definitely a drink.

Back in the privacy of his room, Din had made his way to the ‘fresher and taken off his helmet. He caught sight of his face in the mirror and noted how horrible he looked. He had dark, bruise-like bags under his eyes, which were puffy and red from crying, and his skin looked almost deathly pale. His cheeks were tear-stained and gaunt, the latter a result of not eating nearly enough lately.

If Din kept going like this, he would run himself into the ground. With everything going on, he couldn’t allow that to happen. He still had the kid to look after, and even if Corin didn’t know it, he needed Din, too. He had to get it together. For his aliit. He had to be strong for them and keep hoping, no matter how hard it got. The last thing he could let himself do right now was give up.

Resolve steeled, Din bent down to splash some water on his face, reveling in the way it felt before drying off with a nearby towel. He slipped the helmet back on and looked into the mirror once again. Din breathed in deeply and allowed himself just one more second to drown in the pain. Then, with a slow exhale, he set his shoulders back and held his head up high.

No longer was he Din Djarin, the broken man despairing over what had been done to his kar’ta and whether or not things would ever return to normal. He was once again the unshakable Mandalorian, and he had a job to do.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
